


Handfasting

by trollmela



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: M/M, Valinor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-14
Updated: 2013-01-14
Packaged: 2017-11-25 12:43:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/639030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trollmela/pseuds/trollmela
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Their handfasting was probably the most unassuming one since that of Olwë and his wife. It takes place in a forest in the mountains of Valinor. They had only been out of the Halls of Mandos for two weeks. They don’t need words, or anyone else but each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Handfasting

Their handfasting was probably the most unassuming one since that of Olwë and his wife. They had only been out of the Halls of Mandos for two weeks, and during the first couple of days even speech had proved to be difficult. They had found that they did not need it to understand each other.

Findekáno could have left the Halls much earlier, if he had not refused to do so without Maitimo. If the Fëanorion thought about those additional centuries Findekáno had spent there just for him, guilt threatened to crush him.

They didn’t make a decision, they didn’t talk about it, they just went. The site of their joining was a small clearing in the forest on the slopes of the Pelóri, south of the peak of Taniquetil. They were near the Valar, and far from Formenos. Neither of them had been there since their return.

Instead of a ribbon they used a leather strap, and they tied the knot together around their clasped hands. They’d taken their tunics off beforehand because with their hands tied together it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to do it afterwards.

There were no witnesses besides them, a few birds, and a goat in the distance. Findekáno pushed Maitimo down onto the ground and settled above him. They hadn’t had the urge to lie with each other since they had left Mandos, but now it returned and they did not resist.

Afterwards they lay quietly together on top of their cloaks, their legs entwined with Findekáno spooning against Maitimo’s back and resting his chin on the taller elf’s shoulder. Their hands were still tied, although the knot had loosened.

The first to find them was Aulë when he strode through the Pelóri at dusk. Findekáno and Maitimo smiled at him contently. The Vala seemed surprised at first, but then a pleased expression spread across his face, and he unclasped his fur cloak and spread it over the elves. He crouched beside them and retied the strap around their wrists before retreating and settling against a rock to guard against any disturbances. Maitimo drifted off first, Findekáno following soon after.

Findekáno woke at dawn to find that Oromë had taken Aulë’s place. The Vala gave Findekáno a nod, then rose and walked away. Findekáno didn’t waste any time in waking Maitimo with kisses and rousing him into making love again.

They remained in the clearing for three days. Hunting was not necessary, as they had enough provisions, and when they were about to run out, the Valar provided for them. They did not worry or even think about why the Valar had any interest in their union.

When they returned to the elven settlements, the leather strap was gone, but the people could see in their eyes that they were mates now. That was the way of the elves and Findekáno and Maitimo did not mind. Their union was one some might frown at, but it was not forbidden by any laws. They had waited for centuries; nothing would have prevented them from following through with it now.


End file.
